Budget

Including federal relief, state spending increased by 27.1% in 2019–21 and 28.7% in 2021–23

The increase in appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) in the 2022 supplemental operating budget is historically large. But that doesn’t include the influx of federal relief funds related to the pandemic. On top of the $64.125 billion in NGFO appropriations for 2021–23, federal relief appropriations for 2021–23 came to $8.931 billion in […]

New brief: Historically Large Supplemental Budget Also Sets Aside Significant (But Unprotected) Reserves

With the 2022 supplemental operating budget, 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) are 24.3% higher than 2019–21. That is the largest biennial increase going back at least to the early 1990s. (The average biennial spending growth was 9.1% from 1993–95 through 2019–21.) Further, this is the first time a mid-biennium supplemental budget […]

The adopted official budget outlook will be more transparent about reserves, and an alternative outlook shows what would happen if capital gains taxes aren’t collected

Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) adopted an official outlook based on the 2022 supplemental operating budget. Incorporating all actions this session and the governor’s vetoes, the budget leaves an unrestricted ending balance in funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) of $222 million in 2021–23 and $374 million in 2023–25. It has been […]

Gov. Inslee’s budget vetoes will not have a significant fiscal impact

On Thursday, Gov. Inslee signed and partially vetoed the supplemental operating budget. (His veto message is here.) Appropriations levels have not yet been officially updated on the state’s fiscal site, but it looks like the vetoes will reduce appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by about $12.9 million. (As passed by the Legislature, […]

Any way you look at it, the supplemental spending change is historically large

In our policy brief comparing the House- and Senate-passed supplemental budgets, we included a chart showing that the proposed net changes in appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) would be larger than previous supplementals and even larger or on par with previous biennial budgets. That chart went back to 2007–09. Since then, I’ve […]

After the 2022 supplemental budget, Washington has about $145.6 million left of general federal COVID relief

The coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund (CSFRF) is the most flexible of the federal COVID relief money. The state of Washington received $4.428 billion from the CSFRF. (The funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.) Last year, the Legislature appropriated $102.6 million of the CSFRF as part of […]

Budget funds a committee to make recommendations on a potential Washington future fund program

This year the state treasurer requested legislation (HB 1861/SB 5752) that would create a Washington future fund trust fund, as a way to provide funds for people born into low-income families that they could use as adults. As originally introduced, the bills would have deposited in the trust fund $3,200 for each person born in […]

Broadband funding in the operating and capital supplementals, and a new legislative task force

The supplemental operating budget includes $50.0 million from the general fund–state for digital equity and broadband access programs (sec. 128(197)). These could include programs to increase broadband access for low-income and rural communities. The supplemental capital budget appropriates $100 million in federal funding (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) for broadband planning and infrastructure. Of […]

Federal relief funds to be used to begin a new effort to move people from public rights-of-way to housing

The supplemental operating budget passed by the Legislature uses $45.1 million from the coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund (CSFRF, the general federal relief that the Legislature has the most flexibility in using) for grants to move people living on state-owned rights-of-way to permanent housing (sec. 128(132)). Under the program, the Department of Commerce would make […]

Operating budget includes $150 million for a new, low-interest student loan program

This year the Legislature passed E2SHB 1736, which establishes the Washington student loan program. (The bill has not yet been signed by the governor.) The bill requires the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to design a student loan program that has an interest rate that is lower than loan rates subsidized by the federal government. […]